The present invention relates to a refrigerator compartment for storage of articles such as soft goods. The compartment is particularly useful in the refrigerator freezer compartment, but can also be used in the refrigerator fresh food compartment.
Previous refrigerator door compartments typically fall into two constructions. In one construction, the door includes a recess which is open on the top with a retaining wall or bar across the front. This is useful for larger solid items such as bottles and boxes of goods. In the second the door includes a recess which is enclosed and can be opened via, for example, a door or a lid. The enclosed compartment provides some benefits for keeping foods fresher. Some of the enclosed compartments have been provided with a pivoting mechanism that allows the consumer access via the top of the compartment when it is pivoted away from its retaining wall.
Neither of these constructions is well suited for soft packaged goods which include plastic packages of vegetables and other refrigerated items. The packages are not retained adequately by the compartment first described above, as the packages may slip out of the shelf under or over the retaining wall. The consumer is further limited as to how many packages may be placed into the compartment before packages fall over the wall or bar, thus preventing an efficient utilization of the limited space inside the refrigerator. Additionally, the retaining wall or bar may prevent viewing of the contents of the compartment under the top layer of packages.
The substantially enclosed compartment described above is not well suited to soft goods either. These enclosed compartments typically increase the cost and complexity of the compartment. The traditional design used in enclosed compartments also does not include a transparent wall, again preventing the consumer from identifying all of the soft goods stored in the limited space.
Therefore a primary objective of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator door compartment that allows the consumer to enhance the utilization of space.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a storage compartment for a refrigerator door that allows the consumer to view the contents while the compartment is in place.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a storage compartment for a refrigerator door that permits easy removal and addition of packages.